Nova Scotia 5-0 at Canadian Senior Women

Nova Scotia’s Colleen Pinkney is quite comfortable on the ice here at the Silver Fox Curling & Yacht Club in Summerside, PEI, the home of the 2013 Canadian Senior Women’s Curling Championship. The Silver Fox was also the home of the 2009 championship where Pinkney won the title and subsequently, the 2010 World Senior Women’s title.

Her Truro foursome of Wendy Currie, Shelley MacNutt and Susan Creelman have reeled off five consecutive victories, the most recent a 10-4 trashing of a very good Alberta team skipped by Deb Santos. Pinkney scored three points in the 2nd event, four more in the 4th end and steals of one in the 5th and two in the 6th. Santos grabbed a deuce in the 7th and then called it quits leaving her at 3-2.

Wendy Currie and Colleen Pinkneyphoto by Winston Maund

Manitoba’s Lois Fowler had the evening bye and sits alone in second place at 4-0.

Teams with two losses now find themselves in a tie for third. One of those teams is NB’s Heidi Hanlon, the 2011 Canadian Senior Women’s champion. She held off a stubborn Laura Phillips of St. John’s, NL. A key steal of two points in the 4th end and two points with the hammer in the 6th propelled her to a 7-3 lead. Phillips scored consecutive single points in the next three ends to close to down 7-6 coming home. The steal was in play until third Kathy Floyd made a beautiful double takeout forcing Phillips into difficult draws to tie the game. Her last stone was too deep and the game ended for Hanlon 8-6. Both teams are 3-2.

Ontario’s Judy Oryniak made it to the win column in a big way scoring three points in both the 5th and 6th ends eventually posting an 11-4 win. Her record is now 1-4 while Quebec’s Catherine Derick falls into that tie for third at 3-2.

Robbie Maclean’s Quebec crew keep moving up the leaderboard after losing their first two games. They have now won three in row and the most recent this evening scoring two in the 9th and then stealing the 10th over BC’s Craig Lepine (2-3).

Manitoba and Saskatchewan met in a classic prairie match-up and the fans were not disappointed. Regina’s Gord Bell never led in this game but tied it four times over nine ends; however, not having the hammer in the 10th end. Manitoba’s Bob Sigurdson’s last stone stopped a few inches too far and Saskatchewan had their first lead and the win at 8-7. Manitoba is 3-2 and Saskatchewan is 2-3.

The final men’s game of the night featured the home province skipped by Rod MacDonald. Looking to rebound after a tough loss earlier in the day to Alberta, the PEI rink scored three in the 3rd and stole five points over ends 6-8 to close out Northern Ontario’s Bruce Munro 10-3. PEI is at 3-2 while Northern Ontario is winless.

New Brunswick’s Wayne Tallon and Ontario’s Howard Rajala were both off this evening and lead the men’s section at 4-0

Play continues all week with the championship finals for both genders scheduled for Sunday, March 24 at 10:00 am EST. The winners will represent Canada at the 2014 World Seniors at a location yet to be announced.